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Last week, opposition leaders in Syria announced the formation of a Syrian National Council. Presumably, they hope the SNC will play a role in toppling the regime of Basher al-Assad in Syria and transitioning to a new government similar to the role played by the National Transitional Council of Libya (NTCL). No States have yet recognized the new SNC although reports suggest that opposition leaders are seeking recognition of the international community. Syria has threatened "strict measures" against any State that recognizes the "illegitimate council". Several States and other international organizations, such as the UN General Assembly, were fairly quick to recognize the NTCL. It may be difficult for
international community to justify treating
the SNC differently.

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My recognition of
The Syrian National Council

I am the Arab Syrian Writer and Poet abroad, Tarif Youssef-Agha, who was honored by the Syrian Revolution by adding my name and photo to its “List of Honor” along with those who stood with and supported it inside and outside, I announce from the city of Houston, Texas my recognition of The Syrian National Council as the only legitimate representative of the Arab Syrian people who are making history through a legendary revolution.
I have several reasons to do so, here are some:
1- For the past four decades, the ruling Syrian regime failed in returning the occupied Golan Heights and this is enough for it to leave power. If that regime had any self respect, it should step down for this exact reason and let others take care of that national duty.
2- The regime left the Syrian air space open for the Israeli war fighters to violate it and shell our land from it anytime, anywhere. All that it did was to save the right of choosing the time, place and method to respond to Israel.
In fact, any of the two reasons mentioned above is enough to drop the legitimacy of any regime in the world, but I will add the following three reasons to support my recognition.
3- The regime, in the past and the present, storm many Syrian cities by tanks and shelled them from land, sea and air with heavy weaponry. It did not differentiate between whom he calls armed gangs (if they really exist) and the unarmed civilians, using as usual the Israeli-European-America conspiracy theory. Even if we accept that theory, doesn’t it make more sense that the regime attacks the party that planned the conspiracy? We will not, of course, ask it to invade Europe or America, as Israel is just at the range of its cannons, rockets and war fighters. But it looks like the regime found it easier and less risky to kill its own unarmed citizens than facing a regular, fully equipped and armed army and this is another strong reason why it should leave.
4- The regime, in the past and the present, practice inhuman torturing on thousands of its citizens, without distinguishing between children, women and elderly. A lot of them died in custody and their corpses came out to tell about the horrifying torture they were exposed to. This is not only enough to let any regime go, but also to take it to the International Court of Justice to face charges of crimes against humanity.
5- The regime had full control of the economy and ruled the country with the ‘Single Family’ system. So the enormous wealth of the homeland was gathered in the hands of that family and the inner circle around it, where as the majority of the people was sinking into misery and poverty. Therefore, the regime had to suppress the people so they don’t ask questions
I like to say here that if that regime was able to return the occupied Golan Heights and to protect the land and air space of the country from the aggression of its enemies, then the Syrian people might, and I say might, forgive its bad practices in the fields of rights, injustice and wealth. But the regime did not return the land, nor save the rights of the people. And since it did not claim power through the ballot boxes, then it will not leave power through the ballot boxes. It looks like the best way now to force such a regime out will be to put it between a civil peaceful revolution to pressure it from inside and a national council abroad that represents the majority of the Syrian people to pressure it from outside. The Syrian peaceful revolution, that so far astonished foes before friends by its continuousness, bravery and sacrificing, has already proved itself, accomplished its job, and gained the recognition of the world from east to west. But now, it is the turn of the Syrian National Council that finally came to life a few days ago after a difficult Cesarean.
That is why I would urge the governments of the free world to do their part in increasing the pressure on the regime by recognizing the young National Council and by replacing the regimes’ ambassadors with ones appointed by the Council. I also urge the world parties and organizations, governmental or not, even the ordinary citizens of Syria, the Arab and the Non-Arab World to do the same by adding their voices to mine in recognizing the Council openly and clearly as every voice counts regardless of its source. Let’s remember that the time of fear has gone forever, and so using rubber statements. This might be the last chance to take an honorable stand that makes a person proud of himself now and in the future, and so makes his sons and grandsons proud of him. His homeland will write his name with letters of light in the book of history.
In conclusion, I like to thank and appreciate the Libyan Transitional Council, the Egyptian Democratic Alliance and the World Union of the Muslim Scholars who opened the door to the international recognition of the Syrian National Council. It came after the Syrian people did it through the demonstrations of Friday October 7, 2011, which they also called the Friday of “The National Council represents me”, and the demonstrations that followed.
Salam.